Coalition claims YouTube violates child privacy laws News
Coalition claims YouTube violates child privacy laws

A coalition of 23 consumer, child safety and privacy advocacy groups filed a complaint [text, PDF] Monday with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) [official website] alleging that YouTube violated children’s privacy laws by collecting and selling data from children under the age of 13.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) [FTC website] “makes it unlawful for any operator of a website or online service that is directed to children from collecting, using or disclosing personal information from a child unless the operator gives parents notice of its data collection practices and obtains verifiable parental consent before collecting data.”

YouTube, owned by Google, is the most popular online platform among children. A 2017 study found that 80 percent of US children ages 6-12 use YouTube daily. The complaint claims that YouTube has actual knowledge that children are using the site, “as evidenced by disclosures from content providers, public statements by YouTube executives, and the creation of the YouTube Kids app.”

While Youtube does not allow users under aged 13 to create an account, Youtube cannot take advantage of the “age gate” exception because “although it requires registration to post videos, it does not require registration to watch videos on YouTube.”

The viral video site’s policy states that it collects telephone numbers, geolocation, and persistent identifiers, and “may collect and process information about your actual location using various technologies to determine location, including IP address, GPS, and other sensors

The parties request that the FTC enjoin Google from committing further violations of the COPPA, impose effective means for monitoring compliance, and assess civil penalties that demonstrate that the FTC will not permit violations of COPPA.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Justice Department brings anit-trust action against AT&T

On November 20, 1974, the Department of Justice filed its final anti-trust suit against AT&T. United States v. AT&T was ultimately settled out of court with an agreement that the corporation would break up its monopoly on phone service throughout the country.

Nuremberg war crimes trials began

On November 20, 1945, the war crimes trials of Nazi World War II leaders began in the German city of Nuremberg. Review the Nuremberg Tribunal's Charter and the verdicts and sentences handed down on major war figures.

Winston Churchill born

On November 20, 1874, Sir Winston Churchill was born in Woodstock, England. He would go on to lead the United Kingdom as Prime Minister through World War II. Toward the end of the war, Churchill worked with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to craft the treaties and accords that have defined the world since WWII. A 2002 poll by the BBC declared Churchill the Greatest Briton of all time.

New Jersey ratifies Bill of Rights

New Jersey ratified the Bill of Rights, a set of 10 fundamental amendments to the US Constitution, on November 20, 1789, becoming the first state to do so. The state also ratified an amendment on federal representation which ultimately failed. Additionally, New Jersey rejected an amendment on congressional salaries, which would eventually become the 27th Amendment more than 200 years later. Read the articles ratified by New Jersey.